Calling all Queens! Join us for two days of learning, love, and sisterhood as we appreciate, celebrate, and discuss the power of the identity and capabilities of the Black woman at the 2016 Inaugural Truth2Power Women's Conference!
Friday, April 1st, will be an evening of community economics, artistic expression and cultural awareness. Join us and do some shopping at our African Marketplace, highlighting local retail and culinary vendors. Then stay for our happy hour and be graced by the talents of vocalists Ayanna Gregory and Afi Soul, hip hop artists Princess Best and Charm Taylor, youth rap group Watoto From The Nile, dance troupe ASA! Kelenya, and spoken word artivists Dominique Christina and Sunni Patterson.
Saturday, April 2nd will feature powerful presentations, incredible performances, and unique networking opportunities with Black women who are rising up to encourage, uplift, and move our communities toward full empowerment and self-love through artistry, healing, and organizing. Receive life-changing information on building wealth from entrepreneur Abundance Child, experience the brilliance of God Hop performed by the illustrious Narubi Selah, study natural and holistic remedies with renowned herbalist Be Nature, discuss the importance and methodology of intergenerational communication between women with teacher and hip hop artivist Princess Best, share your experiences of African womanhood and Black love with Dr. Mawiyah Kambon, and strengthen your understanding of our psychological connection to our hair and to our melanin with our keynote speaker, Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka.
Dominique Christina is an award-winning writer, performer, educator, and activist. She holds five national poetry slam titles in the three years she competed, including the 2014 & 2012 Women of the World Slam Champion and 2011 National Poetry Slam Champion. She is presently the only person to have won two Women of the World Poetry Championships. She is also the 2013 National Underground Poetry Individual Competition Champion (NUPIC), and 2013 Southern Fried Poetry Slam Champion.
Dominique Christina has performed and conducted workshops for hundreds of colleges/universities, schools, community art spaces, nonprofit organizations, and conferences across the country.
More than a poet, more than a singer, more than an emcee--it's not just what she says, it's how she says it. Emerging from the musical womb that is New Orleans, Mother, Wife, Artist and Visionary, Sunni Patterson, combines the heritage and tradition of her Native town with an enlightened modern world view to create music and poetry that is timeless in its groove. Sunni has been a featured performer at the many of Nation's premier spoken word venues, including HBO's Def Poetry Jam and BET’s Lyric Cafe. She has also had the privilege of speaking at the Panafest in Ghana, West Africa, as well as sharing her work on several other international stages.
Spoken word artist, vocalist, actress, and educator. This one woman show swept through most of the east coast between 2000-and 2008 with her lyrical ability, claiming the much deserved title “Slam Queen”. Prior to her 2008 debut on Russell Simmon’s Peabody Award Winning HBO Def Poetry Jam, she has performed with such notable artists as KRS One, Lauryn Hill, Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers, and Styles P, just to name a few. In 2010, she released her debut album “IAM LivingMath, where she demonstrates her ability to melodically and scientifically annihilate each and every track. With a mix of hip-hop, spoken word, and soulful singing, Narubi has truly shown her ability to create conscious music that crosses all barriers.
For this singer, dramatist, educator and activist, music and art are more than entertainment; they are her mission.
And with penetrating depth, Ayanna is making audiences feel and heal. While growing up as the daughter of celebrated Comedian and Human Rights Activist Dick Gregory, she was blessed with the opportunity to interact with such mega talents as Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. Ayanna knew early on that her gift of song would be her gift to the struggle. In 1990, Ayanna became recognized as a powerful and progressive voice as a student activist at Howard University in Washington, D.C. From there, Ayanna would become a major voice within the various cultural, political, and spiritual movements in the nation’s capitol.
Abundance Child is called the Autonomous Goddess of Connection because she is a thought leader in this area with a specialty in intersecting the world on line with the world offline.
AC has remained true to her vision that social media would heavily impact humanity. She has successfully navigated social media networks to engage in offline behaviors that are steadily translating into real currency with some of the most future minded impactful people and organizations.
She solifies her impact by guiding women and children to wellness via ACOA , Girl Society, and Drop Squad Kitchen.
Princess Best is a HIPHOPMOMMA, wife, arts educator and transformational speaker in addition to acting on stage. She is a voice for ALL THINGS BLACK GIRL AND BLACK WOMAN. Most recently, she performed in "Her: The New Kween", "It takes A Village", and "I Am Anacostia". Best has self-produced projects such as "Black Seed: Fertile Playground", "Alphachick", "Breakthrough", and "Too of a Kind". She was recognized by the NAACP as one of the "Top 100 Gamechangers of 2015" for her arts and activism work in her community. Be sure to check out her latest music video entitled "A Black Girl's Worth."
Afi Soul is the critically acclaimed soul and r&b music artist whose album, Lovely, landed the no. 10 spot on the SoulTracks Top 10 CDs list, putting her in a class with Erykah Badu, Angela Johnson and Jill Scott. Many consider her supportive anthem for the ‘'brothas", “Baby, Its Cold Outside”, to be her signature tune. Touring with artists such as Lil Mo and Raheem Devaughn, renewed interest in Afi’s debut prompted a 2010 re-release led by “Sorry (Gotta Go)”, a no nonsense hit that asserts a woman’s independence.
Afi Soul has just released her second album, "Rising". Her leading single, “These Hips” is a playful and energetic woman’s anthem that illustrates that Ms. Afi Soul is more empowered than ever before.
AYO HANDY-KENDI demonstrates over 40+ years of experience as a breathologists, wholistic
practitioner, stress manager, organizer, lifestyle coach/counselor, presenter and speaker, storyteller, author, radio show host and producer, inspiring countless people in their growth and development. As CEO of PositivEnergyWorks, LLC™ she offers wellness services and trains others in her techniques including Optimum Life Breathology™ and “Relearn How-to Breathe”. She also facilitates other relaxation transformative practices such as Tantra–Art of Self-Pleasure, Meditation, and Reiki.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Laini Mataka is treasured as a powerful educator to young local poets in the Washington DC area. She recorded two spoken-word albums:
1971's "Black Ivory" made Billboard`s Black Album chart, and 1973's "Me and a Friend" was released in 1973. Both feature the provoking writer sharing her work over jazz and R&B music. Her work could be viewed as an important precursor to hip-hop. More recently, she has published her poetry in 3 collections: 1988's "Never as Strangers", 1994's "Restoring the Queen", and 2000's "Bein a Strong Black Woman".
Jalynn (age 17), Mary (age 15), Antanira (age14), Nya (age14), and Kamaria (age 10) are Watoto From The Nile, a young African-centered, thought provoking, socially and culturally conscious music group. They are a testament to the fact that music can be used for much more than to propagandize messages of negativity and destruction. The “money, cash, drug and women bashing” days of music are very much coming to an end and these young divas are leading the way for change.
Dr. Kambon is a lifetime member and past president of the National Association of Black Psychologists. In 2000 she took 500 Black psychologists and their families to Ghana West Africa for a conference on spiritual reclamation through traditional healing. Her Psychology and health and healing practice, ONIPA Psychological & Consulting Services, includes a guided mediation center and she travels extensively engaging in women's healing, spiritual re connection, and holistic mind, body and spirit workshops all over the world.
Ms. Charm Taylor is future soul. A master of ceremonial next wave vibes and third eye elemental hip hop. The red rhythmic earth. The universe whisperer. The wavy goddess being prying the pineal gland wide open. Airy Crooner. Full Blown Spitter for social justice. Ms. Charm Taylor is an independent artist based in New Orleans, La. In the 5 months since her solo debut in 2015, Charm has toured the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Canada making appearances at A3C Hip Hop Fest and Indie Week Toronto. Most recently, Charm Taylor was a selected performer at the 2015 Amnesty International “Art for Rights” exhibit.
As a holistic health practitioner and master herbalist, Queen BeNature is a dedicated natural healing educator of men, women and children. Having studied at The Global College of Natural Medicine and Vancouver Island College of Natural Wellness, she has been able to assist hundreds of people in naturally healing from bodily ailments ranging from high blood pressure to infertility. BeNature is the Director and Owner of BeNature BeEarth, Natural Health and Wellness
company. Specializing in providing natural detoxification and healing services as well as 100% herbal and plant based supplements, crafted to assist the body in doing what it is designed to do, heal itself.
Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka is a therapist, as well as an Assistant Professor of Psychology and researcher at the University of the District of Columbia that focuses on understanding and using traditional African cultural rituals for contemporary wholistic mental health practices. She is a native New Yorker and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Howard University, where she studied the psychological significance of race within lives and earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Mbilishaka also has an emerging program of practice and research entitled, "psychohairapy," where she uses hair as an entry point for mental health services in beauty salons and barbershops, as well as through social media. She is the current Association of Black Psychologist DC chapter president.
Author, "The Alpha Woman's Bible", Poetess
This Philly-born sistah is well known for her work in the DC spoken word community. Host of Mangos at 14th and U St. (now Jin) for almost a decade, Ra found performance and hosting opportunities all over. She has graced stages with national and international stars, produced shows, and starred in independent films, resulting in winning attention at the Black Hollywood Film Festival. Her book, "The Alpha Woman’s Bible" is meant to share her ideas, ideals and experiences, and to express the link between choices and their consequences, what we consent to and are willing to change.
The 2016 Truth2Power Women's Conference will take place in the ballroom of the Prince Hall Masonic Temple, which is conveniently located in the heart of Washington, D.C. on U Street's historic "Black Broadway" corridor
.Nearby is Howard University, Malcolm X Park, and several Black-owned businesses.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBLE: Take the Green-Yellow line Metro train exit 10th Street NW/U Street African American Civil War Memorial and the building is just steps away on U Street to the left of CVS pharmacy.
On street, metered and paid lot parking is available.
Event planner and entrepreneur Patricia Patton and community organizer Kristina Jacobs are Truth2Power. The sister queens host their weekly self empowerment and self mastery radio show at WE ACT Radio in Southeast Washington, D.C.
In order to find the truth, the false must be removed, so lets begin to speak Truth2Power.
Listen in every Wednesday at www.WEACTRADIO.com
6 - 7 PM EST and check out all of the archived recordings HERE.
If you are interested in RETAIL OR FOOD VENDING and additional information about the conference, please call 323.929.7724 or email info@theDOTconnection.net